May 31, 2007

Magic Gone?

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 31, 2007 08:02 AM

I had a friend was a big baseball player back in high school
He could throw that speedball by ya, make you look like a fool
Saw him the other night at this roadside bar I was walking in he was walking out
We went back inside, sat down, had a few drinks, but all we kept talking about

Glory Days, yeah they’ll pass you by
Glory Days, in the wink of a young girl’s eye
Glory Days, glory days

Glory Days – Bruce Springsteen

OK, the big question now that the baseball season is over and the Owls are sitting at home instead of playing in a regional for the second straight year, IS --- Has FAU baseball already experienced the Glory Days, or is it still in the midst of them?

Owls fans got spoiled for a while, as coach Kevin Cooney and chief recruiter John McCormack built up the program until it finally broke through in a BIG way in 1999, going 54-9 and tying an NCAA record with 34 straight wins and getting into its first regional.
Fluke? No, because the next season FAU went 43-19 and was again in a regional in Coral Gables for the second straight time.

Aberration? Well, maybe, because in 2001 FAU went 36-24 and didn’t get into a regional.

But by now the Owls knew how to win and didn’t like missing out on a regional after going to two straight, so in 2002 they made their loudest noise, making it into a regional, this time in Tuscaloosa, then beat the Crimson Tide to win that regional and make it to a super regional, where they lost to Georgia Tech.

That is the equivalent of making it to the Sweet 16 in basketball, and can you imagine what it would be like if the Owls did that on the hardcourt?

By now FAU had earned a solid national reputation, even though no one in Boca Raton knew about it (average attendance seems to be stuck around the 300 mark), and made it into regionals in 2003, 2004 and 2005, though all of those were in Coral Gables, where the Owls seem cursed.

So, that brings us to the last two seasons, where FAU has failed to get an invite.

What's Gone Wrong

Cooney said recruiting is not down, but injuries are up, and he is on solid ground there. In 2006 they lost Robbie Widlansky and Mike McBryde to hamstring injuries. McBryde was not just the fastest player on the team and one of the best hitters, he was also the closer. And Widlansky, well, fans saw what he could do this year.

This season ace pitcher Mickey Storey was done after five starts with an elbow injury, and closer Joel Schmal went down for seven weeks with arm trouble. Schmal later emerged as a starter, but without its ace, the pitching staff never did recover.

Here is how Cooney put it: “If you take last year, and take half the injuries away, that team is in a regional. This year, give us Mickey back, we are in a regional.

“Those are major, star players, out of the lineup. We lost Widlansky and McBryde last year, and McBryde was a double hit because he could pitch, and you saw what Widlansky was capable of this season.

(MCBRYDE UPDATE: He is hitting .246 for the Augusta Greenjackets and playing centerfield. The Greenjackets are a Single-A team of the Giants currently in first place in the Southern Division of the South Atlantic League.)

“In my heart I believe we would have made it to a regional if we hadn’t lost those players. Each year we didn’t have the teams we thought would be on the field.”

Cooney said the difference was that during those Glory Days, the teams were injury free, at least to key players.

Tough Belt

Cooney said the Sun Belt was a stronger conference than he had expected, with no real softies on the schedule.

“In the A-Sun, when the last place team came to town, it was a last place team. In the Sun Belt, there was no last place team. Top to bottom, every team had a chance to beat the other one.” Cooney said.

It really struck home in Mobile, where Cooney was able to watch the other seven teams play. “There was no comparison. All eight teams in the Sun Belt tournament were better than the six in the Atlantic Sun. The Sun Belt is head and shoulders above the A-Sun.”

That’s a good thing for RPI, but it also makes recruiting, rebuilding and coaching all the more important, since FAU now just doesn’t have to worry about Stetson or Jacksonville, but everyone from South Alabama to Arkansas State to Troy to Louisiana-Lafayette.

And just what kind of team the Owls will have next year won’t be known until after the June Major League Draft.

May 29, 2007

Regional Time (minus the Owls)

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 29, 2007 08:43 AM

Time to cheer for the Belt, which got three teams into baseball regionals, the biggest surprise being Troy (34-25), which snuck in as one of the last at-large teams picked.

That left a lot of people scratching their heads, but the Belt will take it. FAU (36-22) had a better record than the Trojans, but it’s one big win was against Oklahoma State way, way back in February. The Owls were 1-8 against the three Belt teams in the regionals (Louisiana-Lafayette, New Orleans and Troy), so no whining, please.

FAU missed out on a regional for the second straight year, the first time that has happened since 1998. Another way of looking at it is that FAU had never been in a D-I regional until 1999, and then they were in six over the next seven seasons, before the current slump.

Now to be answered is whether that string of regional appearances was the anomaly, or whether this two-year hiatus is.

The Atlantic Sun got two teams in, Jacksonville and Stetson, which is about right, now that UCF, FAU and Troy are all gone.

Florida (29-30) didn’t get in, and one has to wonder how much longer coach Pat McMahon will be around. There is no reason why the Gators aren’t one of the top SEC teams each season. That athletic program has everything going for it, and AD Jeremy Foley is not one to tolerate mediocrity, and a losing record does not even qualify as that at UF.

May 25, 2007

Owls vs. Smurfs, Part V

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 25, 2007 07:05 AM

UPDATE: Owls lose 7-4. Second straight year of no regional for FAU. Hopefully not a trend, after the Owls had fans spoiled with six appearances in seven years from 1999 to 2005.

Next year depends a lot on who or who does not get drafted and who signs and who returns. Right now I would say the pitching needs to improve. You can win with offense, but not consistently enough to win the Belt or get an at-large regional bid.

-------------

10 a.m. is the rematch. FAU should be used to these early wakeup calls, since this is the third day in a row they play the early game.

FAU is 2-2 vs. MTSU this season, winning the regular season series 2-1 before getting dumped in the tournament opener Wednesday.

Both teams down to their No. 3 starter. Obradovich for FAU, who has been in the pen recently as part of Cooneysteen's strategy to get the Owls into the tournament by making sure they won the first two games of the final three series of the season.

It worked, but now Obradovich needs to have a big game to get FAU into tonight's 5 p.m. game against New Orleans. If FAU makes it that far, should be interesting to see who is on the mound.

Here's what Smurfs coach Steve Patterson had to say about today's game:

“All we are concerned with now is playing a double header tomorrow. We want to play one game and turn it into a double header. I have to decide what I am going to do with my pitching, because we have floated around with our number three starter. It’s kind of like I have said before, like Forrest Gump’s mama, open up a box of chocolates and I never know what I’m going to pull out.”

On next opponent Florida Atlantic...

“We are in survival mode and I can’t save anybody for the second game. I have to try and win the nine o’clock game tomorrow against Florida Atlantic. Florida Atlantic is a heck of a hitting ball club, that we shut down on Wednesday, but is going to be difficult for us to do it again. It will be a challenge, but I look forward to it. We have to lick our wounds and get after it tomorrow.”

May 24, 2007

Owls win

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 24, 2007 09:51 AM

Update: Owls beat WKU to stay alive. Bomback had four RBI in the game.

Post game quotes:

Coach Kevin Cooney, Florida Atlantic

On win over Western Kentucky...

Anyone that showed up this morning for the game got their monies worth. It kept going back-and-fourth and nobody would quit. We had some really great performances. I thought (Chris) Salberg pitched exceptional today. We gave them three or four chances, and they gave us some runs back. Then (Brandon) Cooney came out of the pen, as did (Anthony) Bradley. We had to go to (Mike) Obradovich, who is our money guy and going to pitch tomorrow. I am proud of those bullpen guys because they have not had much success and today they did a good job.

On the homerun from Western Kentucky in the bottom of the ninth...

It was a really hard hit ball but with the wind blowing out. If he had it to right field then it would have been caught.

On Daniel Bomback’s performance...

He is a veteran who gave us two veteran at-bats, one where he hit the ball to left, not his homerun, which scored us some runs. His last at-bat was also huge for us. Having four hits with four RBIs is pretty good.

Coach Chris Finwood, Western Kentucky

Overall Thoughts...

It was a great ballgame, back and forth, and we made a couple defensive mistakes that probably cost us the game. We just didn’t play good enough defense down here to win. We were one the best fielding, if not the best defensive club, in the league all year and that kind of let us down. The kids fought hard and just came up one run short today.

Ninth Inning Comeback...

We’ve done this all year and that is the first time all season we have lost two games in a row in the league. We have a tough group of guys out there who are not going to back down, and I am proud of the way they battled back.

-----

Unlike the softball tournament, everything went to form in Wednesday’s opening round of the Belt baseball tournament, with the 1, 2, 3 and 4 seeds all winning, putting the 5, 6, 7 and 8 seeds in elimination games today.

That includes the Owls, who need a win over No. 7 Western Kentucky to stay alive. With Salberg on the mound, I like FAU’s chances, though I still don’t see them making it out of the loser’s bracket.

Best game will be the nightcap, when No. 1 Louisiana-Lafayette faces defending tournament champ and No. 4 seed Troy.

May 23, 2007

Belt About to Begin

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 23, 2007 07:23 AM

UPDATE: Well, the Owls were never in game 1, losing to Middle Tennessee 6-1. the second inning was the killer, as an error led to three unearned runs, and the Owls were down 5-0 after two.
Schmal was not sharp, and MTSU had 10 hits and all its runs after three innings.

This is heading to the worst case scenario for the Ows, who now have to dig their way out of the loser's bracket. Not good.

I caught up to Coach Cooneysteen and the TFKATBW Monday when they were in Gainesville, where they had stopped to practice at Sante Fe Community College and then have lunch at David's Barbecue, a favorite spot from the days when they bused back and forth for Atlantic Sun games.

Cooney said the bus ride was OK with him, since getting flights to Mobile was very pricey, especially since they didn't know when they would be coming home. Could be as soon as Thursday or as late as Sunday. One thing he was glad about was that they would not be in Deland, where the A-Sun held all its tournaments. The Belt rotates the site around, with Lafayette hosting next year.

Talked to Robbie Widlansky, before he was named Belt Player of the Year. (See story).

Widlanksy will leave with at least three single season offensive records, which is not a bad way to go out.

Cooney informed me that I am not allowed back on the Blue Wave Bandwagon, a banishment I accept since I did jump off a while ago.

The Owls can win this thing, as long as they A) stay out of the loser's bracket, and B) have someone step up as the fourth starter.

Cooney is going back to Schmal, Salberg and Obradovich as the three starters, now that he has to win three straight and not just the first two of a three-game series. Right now it looks like the fourth starter will be the entire bullpen, since B. Cooney and Philabaum have fumbled away their chances to be No. 4.

NO TO HAWAII

Yes, Hawaii has been in touch with The Suit, trying to get the Owls to return to Honalulu for a game Nov. 3 against the Warriors.

The Suit presented that to The Voice. And while The Voice likes to play anyone, anywhere, he declined.

When FAU went to Hawaii to open the 2004 season, things were a lot different. The Owls were not in a conference, as they were in the first of the two-year transition from I-AA to I-A. They were still trying to line up quality I-A opponents, and Hawaii was the first team that had been to a bowl that they would play.

It was also a reward for the seniors who had built the program. And it turned into a thriller, with the Owls winning 35-28 in OT.

Fast forward three years, and the Owls are now in the Sun Belt, they already have lined up some big-name games, including taking on the National Champ Gators, and the date Hawaii wants falls between two Belt home games, Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State.

The Voice rightly figures the Owls will be in the thick of the race for the conference title, and doesn't want to risk a chance of winning by hauling the team six time zones away for what really is a meaningless game.

Hawaii came back after the intial refusal with a better payout offer, but the answer was the same.

Nice the see FAU has grown up enough that they can pass up a game like this.

May 20, 2007

Mobile Seeding and FIU coachless...

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 20, 2007 02:27 PM

How tight was the race for second place in the Belt baseball race?

Well, one game separated the No. 2 through No. 7 teams, with New Orleans, Middle and Troy all tied at 16-14, with NO getting the No. 2 spot, Middle 3 and Troy 4, Monroe five at 15-14, and FAU and WKU at 15-15 (Owls win tiebreaker with 2-1 record against the Hilltoppers), and South Alabama sneaking in at No. 8 at 13-16.

Good for the Jaguars, who are hosting the tournament. It would have been a shame if they had not made it the year they hosted. Also, attendance would surely have taken a hit if they were not in it.

Not that FAU vs. the Smurfs is going to be a big draw at 10 a.m. Eastern (9 Central) on Wednesday. 10 a.m. and baseball just don’t go together.

What his all means is that everyone behind Lafayette (23-7), aside from South Alabama, has a legit chance of making it to the finals.

Things worked out well for FAU, which first had to win its final three series of the season (and went 7-2 in the process) to get in, then moved up to sixth with a sweep of the Amber Kitties, thus avoiding the Cajuns bracket and getting in with NO, Middle and WKU, while at the same time ending FIU's season. How sweet is that?

PRICE FIRED

Well, not sweet for Danny Price, FIU coach for 28 seasons, who was told he was fired on Saturday shortly after the Kitties were swept by the Owls. See story.

I know Cooney and Price were good friends for the two decades they were together down here. The Hatchet (FIU AD Pete Garcia) will have this coach search thing down pat, as he will now be looking for his fourth, after whacking off the heads of his football, softball, men's soccer and baseball coaches.

Back to the Belt

Given how evenly matched 2 thru 7 were, it really didn't matter where FAU finished, but was a huge bonus to not be in with Lafayette, clearly the best team in the conference.

You know, I am beginning to edge a little closer to that seat on the bandwagon that has been empty since the Little Rock series.

For those interested, here is the explanation from the Belt on how the 2,3 and 4 seeds were determined:New Orleans, Troy, and Middle Tennessee all tied for second place. In the event of a three-way tie the composite records in games between the three teams is first considered. New Orleans is the No. 2 seed based on a 4-2 composite record between the three teams. With the three-way tie broken, Troy and Middle Tennessee’s head-to-head record is next considered and Middle Tennessee is the No. 3 seed having beaten Troy 2 out of 3 times

Just an FYI -- the Owls are bussing to Mobile for the tournament. That's a pretty long bus trip. I guess there wasn't enough in the budget for a plane ride. So the bus leaves tomorrow morning for the all-day journey. If the Owls don't win the tourney, that ride back will be a long, quiet one.

May 19, 2007

Owls Extend Season

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 19, 2007 08:12 AM

Congrats to the TFKATBW, who made it into the tournament by beating up on the Amber Kitties.

Even better, from what I can tell, FAU can finish no lower than seventh, meaning they can avoid having to face Louisiana-Lafayette in the first round. And if FAU stays where it is, or even moves up to six, the Owls can avoid getting in the Cajuns bracket, which boosts their tender hopes of a Belt title considerably.

It appears there is a possibility FAU could move up to fifth if they win today, which is something Owls fans should hope against.

With Belt pool play, the 1,4,5,8 seeds will play a mini double elimination tournament, as will the 2,3,6,7 seeds, with the winners of each pool playing a single, winner-take-all game. That means FAU would face the Cajuns just once, and after each team has exhausted their pitching staffs, which means it could become a slugfest, where FAU should have an advantage.

But that is looking way ahead. Expect FIU to win today for two reasons: They have to if they want a spot in the tournament, and FAU doesn’t need to and also used up Obradovich and Salberg yesterday, leaving, well, who knows, as today’s starter.

As for me, that bandwagon is still empty. I just don’t think the Owls have the pitching to win the Belt tournament. Not enough quality starters, and not enough in the bullpen.

Even if the Kitties beat the Owls today, it may not be enough to save coach Danny Price's job. This is Price's 27th season, but new Kitties AD Pete Garcia has been busy canning coaches, with the softball coach the latest to get the boot, that following FAU beating them 4 of 5 in less than a week, including knocking FIU out of the Belt tournament.

JUNIOR DAY?

Ah, college baseball. In what other sport does a junior get honored during senior day?

Did anyone else wonder why Robbie Widlansky (left) was included in the list of players being honored at today’s final home game? I checked, and it wasn’t a mistake. Robbie is a junior, but senior day has been replaced by "dedication to the program" day.

Coach Cooneysteen said they are including him because he knows Widlansky is going to be drafted high enough that he will take the money and run – to a minor league team.

Widlansky has had a monster season, with his average will over .400 all year. Thanks, Robbie, but it seems we hardly go to know yee…

This is what makes baseball so tough to recruit for, and so hard to maintain a core of players. The best players will be gone after their junior years, so you really may only get two good years out of them.

Players have leverage when they are juniors, since they can tell teams they will stay in school for their senior year if the bonus money is not enough. That is OK, if they do return and have a solid season. But if they don’t, all their leverage is gone, and they could drop down in the draft order and get chump change.

Mickey Storey could also be gone. But he has some pretty interesting options. He will be at the first session of summer school rehabbing his arm. Then he might go play for a summer league team, and if he can show the scouts he is recovered, could also be drafted.

He has leverage, since he will get a medical redshirt, and could return as a junior next season. If he has a solid year, like the one he seemed headed toward this year, he could do well in the draft and still have the option of returning for his senior season if the numbers aren’t right.

It puts kids in a tough spot, and makes coaching and recruiting a nightmare at times.

May 17, 2007

Rivalry Becomes Serious

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 17, 2007 06:53 AM

Rivalry becomes serious

FAU hosts FIU in a Belt baseball series with huge consequences for both teams. This is the 26th year the teams have faced each other, and while there have been a couple regional games, and some games when both were in the A-Sun, these three games mean a lot.

The Owls can knock the Amber Kitties out of the tournament that begins Wednesday in Mobile, or visa versa. Coach Cooneysteen said he has figured his team can finish anywhere between fourth and 10th, depending what happens with all the other teams in the Belt.

FAU (32-20, 12-15) sits in eighth place, just behind FIU (26-26, 12-14). Just like basketball and football, this diamond rivalry now has some weight to it. No more midweek games to fill out the schedule.

One thing is certain, that Louisiana-Lafayette has clinched the regular season title and No. 1 seed. The Cajuns have separated themselves from the rest of the conference and are clearly the dominant team. Meaning FAU wants to stay out of that bracket, and finish in sixth or seventh place. (Brackets are 1,4,5,8 seeds and 2,3,6,7).

The brackets are like the softball tournament, with double elimination in each four-team bracket, with the winner of each playing a single, winner-take-all game.

That’s when you want to take on the Cajuns, when you only have to beat them once and they have had to use a lot of pitchers.

But first FAU has to get past FIU. Two wins would ensure a spot in the tournament, no matter what else happens. Winning one of the three games could be enough, but then the Owls would have to rely on other teams winning or losing.

So, same game plan that has helped FAU win its last two series – Schmal tonight, with Salberg and Obradovich in the pen to finish up. Whomever doesn’t get the call tonight will pitch Friday, and let’s hope the third game doesn’t mean much, because that third starter remains ??????????

Game times stink for such a big series against a big, nearby rival. Of course, college baseball is weird in that the critical part of its season is played when the students have already gone home for the summer and the campuses are empty. Go figure.

On the game times (6 tonight, 4 Friday, 2 Saturday), Cooney said he went along with the wishes of the FIU coach. Geez, coach, a 4 p.m. game on Friday? The game that could put FAU into the tournament? Don’t complain about the size of the crowd.

In case anyone is interested, here are the tie-breakers to determine seeding:

1. Results of each team in head-to-head competition.
2. Results of each team vs. the fi rst-place team, or their composite records against any team tying for fi rst place.
3. Records of each team vs. the second-place team, or their composite records against any team tying for second place.
4. This process continues with records vs. the third-place team, fourth-place team, etc., if necessary, until the tie is broken and seeding is complete.
5. If a tie still exists, a coin flip shall be conducted by the Conference office.

May 16, 2007

(Another) Stadium update

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 16, 2007 11:14 AM

Just got done listening to part of the Board of Trustees meeting taking place today in Port St. Lucie.

The update on the Innovation Village included the permanent stadium, and football fans should be encouraged by what was said.

First of all, Norm Tripp repeated, over and over, that this stadium had to be built, and on time, meaning for the 2010 season.

Here’s a sample of what he said: “We want to make this happen. Get it done. We want to be there. We need to get moving, and I think everyone here feels the same way.”

Also, the stadium has a big proponent in board member Armand Grossman, who started off by mentioning how disappointed fans were that the temporary stadium did not happen for this season.

“There was huge excitement. When that builds and then it doesn’t happen, it is like Christmas is cancelled this year. There is overwhelming support for this.”

In jumped board member Sherry Plymale: “We were at a donor reception, and a few of our football boosters cornered us. They were unhappy. They said exactly just what Ar-man said. They really wanted to move faster.”

Grossman went on: “There is incredibile anticipation. I was at Vanderbilt recently, and walked into an empty stadium, and there was excitement there, just being in a stadium on a campus. I visualize, thinking of games being played there, and all the students and alumnae in the stands…”

Grossman certainly has the picture in his head, and there were a lot of nodding heads when he was speaking (the meeting was webcast).

More on this later, but it certainly looks good for 2010, and there was talk of games moving to campus in 2008, and “definitely” by 2009.

May 13, 2007

Owls Hosed

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 13, 2007 04:46 PM

No way to sugarcoat this one. The FAU softball team that won the Sun Belt regular season and conference tournaments, the team that went 18-3 over its last 21 games, including a 5-game win streak to win the tournament after losing in the first round, didn’t get an at-large bid into a regional.

FAU finished 42-23, and swept the Sun Belt honors with the player, pitcher and coach of the year, but got overlooked by the selection committee.

This was devastating news for the team that fought so hard this season, and showed amazing grit down the stretch and in the tournament after being upset by FIU in the first round. The Owls had to win three games on Saturday to take the title, beating Middle Tenn twice and Troy once.

It’s a sudden end to the careers of Mandie Fishback, Jen Musillo, Jenna Lopez, Annie Voyles and Meghan Doonan.

FAU was No. 45 in the latest RPI, but that and the Owls strong finish failed to convince the committee they deserved a spot in the tournament.

One Belt team did get invited into the 64-team field, Louisiana-Lafayette (46-16), which had won the Belt title and tournament for seven straight years until being knocked off the top step by FAU.

Unfortunately FAU was swept by the Cajuns in March, and then didn’t get a chanced to play ULL in the tournament, since the Cajuns were two-and-out.

But the Cajuns were ranked in the top 25 most of the season, and that horrid performance in the tournament did not drop them out of the regional picture.

I think if FAU had beaten ULL in the tournament on their way to the title, that would have been enough. FAU played a strong schedule, but didn't have enough wins against top teams to make the committee take notice.

BELT EXPLAINED

Why didn’t FAU get an automatic bid by winning the conference tournament (which is how the Owls made it into their previous regionals by winning the A-Sun tournament)?

Well, the NCAA has a rule that a conference only gets an automatic bid if it A) has eight or more members, and B) if at least six of those members have been in the conference for more three straight years.

The Belt has shifted a lot recently, this year adding three new teams -- FAU, South Alabama and Louisiana-Monroe – and only five have been together for three years (FIU, ULL, WKU, NT and MTSU), with Troy joining last season.

Next year the Belt champ will go, since six teams will have been together the required length of time.

That doesn’t help this season, though, and it is a shame the Owls have to hang up their cleats and stow away their gloves after the way they played in Murfreesboro. They deserved better.

May 12, 2007

FAU wins Belt

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 12, 2007 08:41 PM

Knocked into the loser's bracket with a heartbreaking 15-inning loss to FIU in the opening game, FAU clawed back and was able to win the Belt tournament Saturday, having to win three games to accomplish that. Senior pitcher Jen Musillo, whose heart and arm should be bronzed, led the way for FAU. She pitched more than 50 innings in four days, and rightly was the tournament MVP.

The win should put the Owls in a good spot to earn an at-large bid into a regional, since there is no automatic berth for the tournament champ.

It would be a shame for the Owls to miss out, since they (and Musillo) are playing their best ball right now. Yes, the Owls were expected to do well in the Belt, but winning the regular season title and the conference tournament goes beyond expectations.

Let's hope the selection committee recognizes the tough non-conference schedule FAU played and how the Owls finished the season.

May 11, 2007

Staying alive

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 11, 2007 07:36 AM

I talked to three Sun Belt member softball coaches prior to the tournament, and all (FAU, Troy and Louisiana-Lafayette) said what they all usually do, that any team could win.

Well, unfortunately for the No. 1 Owls and No. 2 Cajuns, that proved to be reality, as they both lost in first round games. FAU didn’t go down easily, with a game that went 15 innings, but eventually lost to No. 8 FIU, while ULL lost earlier in the day to No. 7 North Texas.

Those couple of shockers turned the tournament upside down, with No. 3 Troy now looking like it has the easiest route to the title.

The day after being named Belt Pitcher of the Year, Jen Musillo just couldn’t put down FIU at the right times, though she bravely went the distance.

Iron-armed Musillo was back on the mound Thursday, and pitched a three-hit shutout vs. South Alabama to keep FAU’s hopes alive. The Owls will go as far as Musillo’s arm will take them, but you have to wonder how long it will hold up.

FAU really needs to win the tournament to earn at at-large big.

Meanwhile, ULL, which had been 22-0 in Sun Belt tournament games, lost again Thursday to Western Kentucky and has been bounced out of the tournament it had won seven straight times. Who would have thunk that?

And FIU didn’t get to gloat for long over its upset win over the Owls, losing to Middle Tennessee on Thursday to set up yet another game against FAU (the fifth in a week) today. Loser goes home, winner stays alive.

May Jen’s arm remain strong.

RAMPAGING WILDCATS

Meanwhile, the TFKATBW is taking a breather, literally, and has lost three straight, the last two to Bethune-Cookman.

The Owls took 2-of-3 from South Alabama in a critical Belt series last weekend to pretty much clinch 8th place in the conference and the final spot in the Belt tournament, and now is letting the rest of the Belt beat themselves up this weekend.

Meanwhile the Owls are hosting the Wildcats in a 3-game non-conference series that began with a 6-5 loss Thursday, which followed a loss Tuesday at B-C in Daytona.

It’s seems the Owls have gone on summer vacation a bit too early. Yes, their only hope of a regional bid is winning the conference tournament, but that doesn’t mean they have to let B-C come in and clean their clocks. Geez.

Hey, Owls, you are going to be the 8th seed in the tournament when you were picked to be one of the top three for four. You claim you are a better team than that, but now you have lost 2 straight to the Wildcats and are in danger of losing a home series if they beat you today.

Snap out of it. Show a bit of urgency. You don’t want to go into the final Belt series against FIU having been danced on by Bethune-Cookman. These games do matter.

May 10, 2007

Lockhart in '07

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 10, 2007 11:30 AM

Plans to build a temporary football stadium on the Boca Raton campus have been stalled, and The Suit said the Owls will be playing at Lockhart Stadium this season.

So Owls fans will have another year of undercover ATF agents to deal with in the parking lot, as well as the commute to what The Voice calls the "warehouse district" of Fort Lauderdale.

Apparently KUD and FAU could not get the deal done in time, but The Suit did say plans for the permanent stadium, scheduled to open in time for the 2010 season, are on schedule.

That leaves a question of where the Owls will roost for 2008 and 09. Lockhart should still be available in 2008, since the Orioles take over ownership in October of that year and aren’t expect to demolish it right away.

But FAU does need a place to play in 09, when Lockhart is expected to be nevermore.

Part of the problem with the temporary stadium idea was the $670,000 price tag that came with it. That was tough to swallow, and hard to justify for a place that would host six games a season. It is even harder to justify if it will be there for just two seasons instead of three, much less a single season.

One plan out there is to build the temporary stadium not at the track, but at the site of the permanent stadium. Then the infrastructure (playing field, water and power lines, etc.) could be used for both facilities, and the cost better justified.

STOREY OUT

Word is that FAU pitcher Mickey Storey will not be returning this season, and will receive a medical redshirt. His arm never recovered enough to let him get back on the mound.

That does not mean he will be with the Owls next season, since he is still eligible for the June draft and could be picked up. If he is drafted and the price offered is right, he could sign and leave school. If not, he will be back and that would give the Owls a good start for the 2008 season.

May 9, 2007

Faulk gets a shot

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 9, 2007 03:10 PM

Well, it took a while for the paperwork to get done, but Nello Faulk officially has signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent.

Here’s the release from FAU:

BOCA RATON, FL (May 9, 2007)—Nello Faulk, a three-year starter and four-year member of Florida Atlantic University’s football team, has been invited to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Rookie Camp scheduled from May 12-14.
Faulk joined the Owls in the fall of 2003 and made an immediate impact on a squad that surprised many across the nation. The Tampa native played special teams for an FAU squad that finished the 2003 season with an 11-3 record, moved deep into the NCAA’s national championship tournament and hosted a national semifinal game.
During Faulk’s sophomore season he moved from tackle to center and led the squad to a 5-0 start, all on the road, including upset victories over Hawaii and North Texas. Both teams were coming off bowl berths, and FAU was the only visiting team to defeat Hawaii in 2004.
Faulk was part of the program’s move to full Division I-A membership and participation in the Sun Belt Conference in 2005. He lined-up against many of the nation’s best in 2006 as the Owls played the nation’s fourth most difficult schedule through the first six weeks and ended the year with a 4-3 conference mark. The senior’s efforts earned him a spot on the 2006 Sun Belt Conference first team.

Jaguars Camp Schedule

Mini-camp: Saturday, May 12 practice 10:30-12:15 and 4:15-6:00 open to the public,
Jack Del Rio available following morning practice, players and coaches available by request after morning practice

Sunday, May 13 practice 10:30-12:15 and 4:15-6:00, Jack Del Rio available following morning practice, players and coaches available by request after morning practice

Monday, May 14 practice 10:30-12:15, Jack Del Rio available following practice, players and coaches available by request after practice

I wouldn’t expect much to come from this. The feeling out there is Faulk hasn’t bulked up enough to compete in the NFL. He could possibly end up in Canada for NFL Europe. And maybe, in a year or two, could get another shot if he can add the pounds needed.

May 7, 2007

Softball rules the Belt

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 7, 2007 10:25 AM

New conference, same result for the Owls softball team, which has now won 10 conference regular season championships in the last 11 years.

Quite a weekend for the Owls, as they swept FIU and then got some help as Troy and Louisiana-Lafayette both stumbled, allowing FAU to win the regular season Belt title in its first year in the conference, after ruling the Atlantic Sun for more than a decade.

That makes FAU the No. 1 seed in the tournament, which starts Wednesday at Middle Tennessee. They face No. 8 seed FIU in the first round game.

Seniors Jen Musillo (21-10, 1.33 ERA) and hard-hitting and slick fielding second baseman Mandie Fishback came on strong down the stretch to lead the Owls, who won eight of their last nine conference games.

A regional spot is still no certainty, though. The winner of the Belt tournament does not get an automatic bid, due to an NCAA rule where at least six of the teams have to have been in the conference for more than two seasons, which the Belt does not have.

The Cajuns (46-14) are ranked No. 22, and will probably get an at-large bid no matter what happens to them. The question is whether FAU (36-12) will also get one. They should if they win the tournament. If not, they might not get in.

Coach Joan Joyce has built up quite a reputation in college softball, and that will help when the committee considers the at-large teams. FAU plays a tough non-conference schedule, and they certainly showed they are peaking at the right time.

But before everyone goes off and starts taking whacks at the Amber Kitties, the numbers don’t look so hot for FAU. While the Owls only got dinged by losing 0.16 of a men’s golf scholarship, they were below the magic 925 cutoff point in football (914), baseball (918) and men’s basketball (910), but escaped because of a margin of error built into the equation.

FAU was the only other I-A school in the state to join FIU and be under 925 in all three of those sports, which is all that needs to be said about that.

Next year that margin of error disappears, and the NCAA expects a dramatic jump in the number of teams getting penalized for poor APR scores.

I don’t want to bore you with the minutia, but the Academic Progress Rate is a measurement of how well student athletes are doing in school, based on their grades and whether or not they stay in school. They earn points for staying eligible and staying in school. The 925 cut point equates to a graduation rate of 60 percent.

They lose points when student athletes screw up and drop out – that is called an 0-for-2, and that is when the penalties kick in.

So FAU football is at 914. And we know they had some troubles with players who were ineligible but stayed in school. We also know at least one dropped out. Now if you are below 925 and have an 0-for-2, you lose a scholarship. You CAN be below 925 and not lose a scholarship as long as everyone stays enrolled.

So it is critical to avoid 0-for-2s. Coaches have to do all they can to convince a kid who is flunking out to stay in school and get things right.

Got it? I don’t blame you if you don’t. I’ve been following this for about four years and it still is as confusing as trying to figure out taxes.

Anyway, don’t be surprised if all three sports lose scholarships next year. They won’t be on the scale of FIU, but they can still hurt. Football can absorb a couple without a problem because it is rare to be at the full 85 limit, and the NCAA bases penalties on that, not on how many a team actually has on scholarship. (Which is why the men’s golf cut doesn’t hurt FAU, because they don’t come close to giving out the 4.5 scholarships available).

But in basketball, with a scholarship limit of 13, every one is critical. Baseball, which has to divvy up 11.6 scholarships among its roster, will also be hurt.

FAU is monitoring the situation closely, and a lot will depend what happens this summer. Those with poor grades will have a chance to bring them up in summer school, and retention rates will be based on who shows up for class in the fall.

The good news is that the penalties are only for a year, and if teams make strides, they can win back scholarships quickly.

If you want to see where every school ranks and all kinds of other data on the APR, CLICK HERE.

May 2, 2007

Who Will It Be?

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 2, 2007 08:03 AM

Who will be FAU’s first NFL Draft pick?

So far NFL Europe and arena ball has been it for ex-Owls, as the few players who have signed as free agents have not stuck.

Football is such a team sport that to win you don’t need a roster of NFL prospects, especially at the Sun Belt level, and FAU has shown that. But it still would be nice, and a boost for recruiting, to get that first draft pick.

What about 2009? Definitely a more robust senior crop. LB Frantz Joseph (6-1, 229) has made big strides, and DL Jervonte Jackson (6-3, 280) could have a shot.
At this point I would say those two have the best chance of being FAU’s breakthrough pick.
You’ll also have WR Frantz Simeon, RB Charles Pierre, DB Corey Small, RB DiIvory Edgecomb, LB Andre Clark, DL Robert St. Claire. Again, lack of size will hurt.

May 1, 2007

Reason for hope

> Posted by Ted Hutton on May 1, 2007 07:50 AM

Well let there be sunlight, let there be rain
Let the brokenhearted love again

Sherry darling – Bruce Springsteen

Glimmers of hope are floating around the Boca Raton campus like lovebugs after The Team Formerly Known As The Blue Wave took two of three from South Alabama. The question is will they consummate their relationship in peace or end up smashed on the grill of an SUV.

We’ll know more this weekend, when TTFKATBW heads to Murfreesboro for a three-game series against Middle Tennessee.

Joel Schmal gets a gold star for his effort last Thursday, leading the Owls to a win. Friday’s game almost ended in disaster for Coach Cooneysteen’s strategy of using his former No. 1 starter as reliever. After Chris Salberg did a fine job and left the game with two outs in the seventh and the Owls ahead 5-1, Cooneysteen, desperate to win the game and ensure taking the series, called for Mike Obradovich.

Obradovich promptly gave up four runs that allowed S-Bama to tie it at 5-5, but FAU was saved with a game-winning home run by Billy Degnan.

Phew. The Owls then tossed away game three, losing 11-9 using whatever pitchers were left. I thought that after Schmal went seven-plus Thursday and Salberg and Obradovich were not needed, Cooneysteen would use them Friday and Saturday to give FAU a chance for the sweep. I guess that just shows how shaky the bullpen is.

HOT STREAK

Meanwhile, on the smaller diamond, the softball team had a big week, winning five of six to put themselves in the thick of the race for the regular season title.

Jen Musillo won all five games, one in relief, and appeared in all six. Coach Joyce has tried to give her a rest, but the remainder of the staff has not been able to do the job. Come tournament time, someone will have to help Musillo out.

Musillo and Mandy Fishback, who hit .667 in those six games, swept Belt Pitcher and Player of the Week honors.

CORRECTION, ADDITION

Anonymous is correct. The FAU women’s swim team has won back-to-back Belt swim titles, so they have the honor of bringing the Owls their first Belt title.

When I said FAU was the only I-A program in the state not to have had a player selected in the NFL draft, I should have added Division I scholarship program. That would include FAMU and Bethune-Cookman, who play at the I-AA level and have had players go in the draft. Jacksonville also has a I-AA program, but it is non-scholarship.

It’s true Nello Faulk would have benefited from a redshirt year. But as long-time fans know, staffing the offensive line has been a chronic problem for FAU, as injuries decimated that unit year after year. That has forced the Owls to rush raw and undersized players into the breach, and Faulk was one of those. It’s hard to say if another year would have given Faulk enough bulk to be a draft pick.

I also doubt if Crissinger-Hill would have been picked. Look at what the NFL wants in a tight end, and it is not C-Hill, who was too lean. He came to FAU as a wide receiver but was too slow. He was converted to tight end but never added much weight, and would have been crushed trying to block NFL linemen or linebackers.

C-Hill did have a very unique talent of getting open and catching everything that came his way.
Even when covered well, C-Hill knew how to position his body so he could make the catch. And he wanted the ball, especially at big moments, and he usually made the catch.

DIETER KURTENBACH a Chicago native and 2010 Missouri School of Journalism graduate, has covered Missouri Tigers athletics for KCOU radio and the Columbia Missourian, Major League Soccer for Comcast SportsNet-Chicago, and lunch orders for ESPN Radio-Chicago. Kurtenbach was part of the Missourian team that earned first place in "Breaking News" at the 2010 Associated Press Sports Editors awards, but his real passion is his constant quest to find the world’s best sandwich – if you have a tip, don’t hesitate to send it his way.